CHIVALRY, in antiquity, an institution, which, according to some writers, took its rise from the crusades ; but, according to others, it gave occasion to that enter prise, and which, though founded in ca price, and productive of extravagance, had a very considerable influence in refin ing the manners of the European nations, during the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries.
This institution naturally arose, says Dr. Robertson, from the state of society at that period. The feudal state was a state of perpetual war, rapine, and anar chy ; during which the weak and unarm ed were exposed to perpetual insults or injuries. The power of the sovereign was too limited to prevent these wrongs ; and the administration of justice too feeble to redress them. Against vio lence and oppression there was scarcely any protection, besides that which the valour and generosity of private persons afforded. The same spirit of enterprise, which had prompted so many gentlemen to take arms in defence of the oppressed pilgrims in Palestine, incited others to de clare themselves the patrons and aveng ers of injured innocence at home. When the final reduction of the Holy Land un der the dominion of infidels put an end to these foreign expeditions, the latter was the only employment left for the activity and courage of adventurers. The objects of this institution were, to check the in solence of overgrown oppressors, to suc cour the distressed, to rescue the helpless from captivity, to protect or to avenge women, orphans, and ecclesiastics, who could not bear arms in their own defence, to redress wrongs and to remove griev ances. These were considered as acts of the highest prowess and merit. Va. lour, gallantry, and religion, were blended in this institution ; humanity, courtesy, justice, and honour, were its character istic qualities ; the enthusiastic zeal pro duced by religion served to give it singu lar energy, and to carry it even to a romantic excess : men were trained to knighthood by long previous discipline ; they were admitted into the order by so lemnities no less devout than pompous ; every person of noble birth courted the honour ; it was deemed a distinction su perior to royalty ; and monarchs were found to receive it from the hands of pri vate gentlemen. These various circum
stances contributed to render a whimsi cal institution of substantial benefit to mankind.
Chivalry was employed in rescuing humble and faithful vassals from the op pression of petty, lords ; their women from savage lust ; and the hoary heads of hermits (a species of Eastern monks, much reverenced in the Holy Land) from rapine and outrage. In the mean time the courts of the feudal sovereigns became magnificent and polite ; and as the military constitution still subsisted, military merit was to be upheld ; but destitute of its former objects, it natural ly softened into fictitious images and courtly exercises of war, in "jousts" and "tournaments ;" where the honour of the ladies supplied the place of zeal for the holy sepulchre ; and thus the courtesy of elegant love, but of a wild and fanatic species, as being engrafted on spiritual enthusiasm, came to mix it self with the other characters of the knights-errant.
Chivalry, whatever might be the era of its origin, declined in England during the inglorious reigns of King John and Henry HI ; but revived under Edward I. This prince was one of the most accomplish ed knights of the age in which he flour ished, and both delighted and excelled in feats of chivalry. As a proof of this, it will be sufficient to allege, that when he was on his return from the Holy Land, after his father's death, and knew that his presence was ardently desired in Eng land, he accepted an invitation to a tour. nament at Chalons in Burgundy, where he displayed his skill and valour to great ad vantage, and gained a complete victory. Edward III. was no less fond of chivalry, and encouraged it both by his example and munificence. Having formedthe de sign of asserting his claim to the crown of France, he laboured to inspire his own subjects with a bold enterprising spirit, and to entice as many valiant foreigners as possible into his service.